


The Real Fairytale

by Leni



Series: The Real Fairytale [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 10:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9545072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: Contrary to Storybrooke’s expectations, Belle Gold had not been the most popular and beautiful girl in her high school who had grown up to captivate the richest man in town with one glance...





	

Contrary to Storybrooke’s expectations, Belle Gold had not been the most popular and beautiful girl in her high school who had grown up to captivate the richest man in town with one glance. 

According to the rapidly spreading legend, it had taken Belle one smile to make Mr. Gold forget about the important business meeting he’d scheduled in New York, and a single month to have the man on one knee begging for her hand and agreeing to return to spend time with her so she could know him better before she gave her answer. Only a woman confident in her charms could have Robert Gold returning to her for longer and longer periods of time until he’d convinced her to say yes.

Belle always laughed at that story, but people assumed her denials were to save Robert’s reputation.

In truth, it was her reputation that shone brighter than it deserved.

She and Robert had squabbled like cats and dogs from day one. The man who hated traveling outside town unless it was to take his teenage son to see the world, had come to New York for one reason only: to sign paperwork. It had been supposed to be a brief visit, as the reins of a company was passed from an old business partner to Gold. Mr. French has assured him that his failing health forbade the stress of handling the business and, if not for Gold’s intervention, the company and the jobs it entailed would surely disappear.

Neither men had counted on young Miss French to dig in her heels and refuse to share the leadership she felt she’d earned after years working under her father.

It had been a disaster at first sight.

Robert had not appreciated to be suddenly challenged by a young, scowling girl fresh out of college. When she’d insisted she would handle the business during her father’s post-surgery convalescence, Robert had smugly reassured ‘the young lady’ that she would keep her job, should she prove as efficient an assistant in his employ as she had been with her obviously doting father.

Belle had noted that he could take her family business from her cold, dead hands. Never mind that she didn’t have the experience, contacts, or cash to keep it afloat for longer than a few months; her mother had promised that one day the company would be hers, that it had been her dream ever since she and her dad had first started the work, and Belle could not think of anything but following her mother’s wish.

Where there was a will, there had to be a way.

Robert had smirked and invited her to try.

A month later, after checking the numbers so often they danced in her visions, and after embarrassing new encounters with Mr. Gold where she always seemed to be at a disadvantage, her father’s main advisers had sat her down and kindly (Will) yet forcibly (Leroy) explained reality to her. 

In the end it had been Belle who had sought Robert out. 

There had been no begging, but the reluctant yet necessary apology and a politely-worded request to take the leadership of the business as her father had originally planned.

After the scene of their first meeting, Belle had expected him to mock and laugh. Instead he’d handed her a linen kerchief and turned around to give her some privacy as she dried her tears. It had been her first hint that the man her father had painted as cold and inflexible was worth knowing for more than his talent to make any business succeed.

“And you’ll work for me?” he had asked, once her sniffles had tapered off into slow breaths.

“You don’t have to offer,” she’d said, her tone a bit waspish as she inwardly blamed him for not letting her have a dignified exit at least. After admitting to herself how stubborn and childish she’d been, the last she had wanted was his kindness. “I know I’ve been an absolute beast.”

Robert had stared at her for a moment, then must have realized she had no idea what his nickname in Storybrooke was, because he’d laughed. “A beast, eh? In that case, we should get along just right.”

They had.

Barely a year later she had become Mrs. Gold. 

Imagine her surprise when, on her arrival in Storybrooke, she had discovered that the story of their romance had been edited into a fairytale worth of a Disney movie of its own.

“Do you mind?” she had asked Robert once.

He had shaken his head. “If I’d been smart,” he’d told her, hauling her closer for a kiss, “I _wouldn’t_  have waited even a week to propose. I should have asked for forever there and then.”

Belle had grinned. “If _I’d_  been smart, I would have accepted.”

“Besides,” he’d said, “you can’t deny the boy did his best with his tale.”

“You know who...?”

Robert had nodded. “There’s only one person who would convince everybody in Storybrooke that you’re nothing but beautiful smiles, and that I wouldn’t mind a new reputation as something of a hopeless romantic.”

One person with whom she had never lost her temper, and who realized there was more to Robert than the facade he presented to the world... “Neal?”

Another nod.

When Belle thought about it, it made sense. 

At seventeen, Neal had been happy to welcome a stepmother if it meant, as he’d put it, that his dad wouldn’t be pestering him after he left for college. That there was less than a decade of difference in their ages hadn’t mattered to Neal, and Belle had breathed in relief when he’d pointed out it probably meant more siblings for him to spoil during Christmas breaks.

It had made it easier to announce he would be getting a trial run this December.

“That wasn’t bad at all, was it?” she said now, turning in her husband’s embrace to look at his face. He had yet to let go of her after she’d given her news, and Belle didn’t mind one bit. “I was afraid Neal wouldn’t be so happy when faced with a real baby on the way.”

Her fears had, of course, been unfounded. Neal had left after hugging her and assuring the two of them that it would be great if they transformed his bedroom into a nursery - that way he could teach his new brother or sister all the secret storage places he had build over the years. Belle had no wish to take over Neal’s room - there certainly was enough space in the house to choose another - but had been touched by the gesture all the same. 

“What about you,” she asked her husband, then giggled a little. “I can’t believe you’re so shocked, Mr. Gold.”

Robert gave a shake of his head, still looking in awe.

“But are you happy?”

His features lit up. “I’m not unhappy, Mrs. Gold,” he answered with a wink and a kiss on the crown of her head, the uncommitted answer belied by his careful and loving touch.

“And do you still wish we had been smarter, that we had skipped the unpleasantness?”

To her surprise, he shook his head again. “I think we’re perfect as we are. Don’t you?”

Belle didn’t even have to think before she was nodding in complete agreement.

“Yes,” she said, “I do.” 

 

The End  
01/02/17

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love! *points at comment box*


End file.
